The present invention generally relates to a patient movement notification device, an incontinence notification device, a diaper with an incontinence notification device, a combined patient movement and incontinence notification device, a combined chuck and incontinence notification device, and a combined chuck, incontinence notification device, and patient movement notification device.
Patient movement notification devices serve to notify a patient's caretaker(s) who may better assist them. Such devices are used for patients who are at a high risk for fall-related injury or for patients who are not healthy enough to stand (post-operative patients, etc.).
Patient movement notification devices are currently in use that include a disposable sensor that is positioned between the patient and a bed, chair, or toilet, and an electronics module that connects to the sensor for generating an alarm when the patient removes pressure from the pad by getting out of bed or up from a chair. The alarm may be a recorded vocal command, such as “please stay in bed and use the nurse call button if you need assistance” or any other message that the caretaker may wish to record.
Existing patient movement notification devices suffer from several drawbacks. First, they may tend to give false alarms when the patient merely rolls over in bed. Second, they may not operate accurately when used on an air mattress, particularly for patients weighing between about 70 and 150 pounds because the sensor pads do not effectively discriminate between a loss of pressure from above or below the sensor pad. The sensors are considered to be disposable and are typically only to be used for 15 days or less because the sensors are pressure sensitive, and after having pressure continuously applied to the sensor, the sensor may not be able to re-expand when the patient removes pressure. However, hospitals have difficulty monitoring the times of use such that the sensors are often used well beyond the permitted 15-day lifetime.
Incontinence notification devices are known that are intended to detect when a patient has urinated in their bed. Such incontinence devices are placed under the patient's groin area and trigger an alarm upon sensing moisture, often by using conductive traces provided on the upper surface of a moisture-impermeable strip. The moisture-impermeable strips of such incontinence notification devices are disposable and do not serve to absorb urine.
Incontinence issues are often alternatively dealt with by using a “chuck,” which is a large disposable absorbent pad placed under the patient. Such chucks are made of absorbent materials similar to those used in diapers. An example of such a chuck is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,702. Such chucks do not serve to notify a caregiver when a patient has urinated.